Fantasy campaign in True20...or W&W...or what?

I thought the True Sorcery felt rather integrated in to the (nicely) simplified class system of True 20, not just the damage system, but that was just an impression from reading. It actually felt better in the Black Company (using quotable quotes from the books is a good way to give solid connection)
 

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post-apocalyptic campaign set in a fantasy realm.

a system by which spellcasters would be making up their own spells.

Desolation...

Its not d20 but its post-apocalyptic fantasy where spellcasters make up their own spells on the fly.

You could modify it into a d20 game pretty easy by just using a d20 and setting some DCs rather than using dicepools with thresholds. The way weapons and armor work would be the only part that might be wonky or need some real overhauling.
 

I figured out what it was- its a point-based system with fatigue.

Now, I like that kind of thing, but because of my intended audience, I'd need to stay with a standard Vancian level-based system if I'm playing 3.5...at least in this campaign.

Tell me more about Desolation.
 

Tell me more about Desolation.

Desolation is a attribute+skill+gear dice pool (50% chance on any one die being a success) vs opponent or threshold (number of successes needed)
Magic each school is a skill, any non-success dice are called burn (damage you take from casting)

The world was much like the roman empire till the night of fire. Elves have been rejected by nature, Gnomes can tap into the future, Halflings are a islander race, theres a few other changes to the standard trope. The world is whatever you decide it is, they have a few ideas (like a few premade towns) but mostly its not flushed out and lets you do your own thing.

If they are hard core about 3.5 you could just run 3.5 with a Desolation style magic system.

Example (just one way of doing it)
Instead of spells per day the casting classes gain ability like a BAB but for casting (modified by the appropriate attribute). The wizard decides he wants to burn his enemies and rolls. He gets a 17 this means he can cast the 3rd level equivalent (10+Spell Level *2) and take 3 temporary CON damage (Level of the Spell) or cast the 2nd level equivalent taking 1 temporary CON damage by using the extra +3 to lower the drain (allow drain lowering for every +2) or cast the level 1 version with no drain. Each spell school could be a feat to be taken letting them start with 1.
 


Well, if you have access, you could try Fantasy Craft with the Vancian Magic and Lost Magic qualities on. No iterative attacks, but by default everyone can make two attacks a round at full bonus if they 'full attack'.

The Vancian quality basically lets you choose to be a prepared caster and exchange flexibility for storing magic up for the big fight. In essence4, they don't 'loose' unspent SP at the end of a scene, but they can't change what spell it's dedicated to.

Mages (sorcerers & wizards)
 


Note the Vancian Magic quality is not in the book, it's from a post by Alex Flagg in response to someone wanting a more Vancian magic system. It's what the link in my last post goes to.

I also should mention it uses "normal" spells as opposed to seeds or verb/noun magic, but Lost Magic lets you limit access to certain schools or disciplines. Also, if everyone played wizards, they'll find they have radically smaller spell lists and will need to do more with their mundane skills.
 
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Just to note: Warriors&Warlocks (W&W) is M&M. It is not a separate system.

Also I don't see how a different system is going to change what people use. If they have spells they like or that work for them aren't they just as likely to gravitate toward the options in the new system that allow them to replicate those choices?
 

Just to note: Warriors&Warlocks (W&W) is M&M. It is not a separate system.

Yep- I knew that...sort of.
;)
Also I don't see how a different system is going to change what people use. If they have spells they like or that work for them aren't they just as likely to gravitate toward the options in the new system that allow them to replicate those choices?
Along with the rules for designing spells will be somewhat of a return to 1Ed rules as written- you don't just get to pick your spells, you have to learn them. This means Spellcraft checks.

So, right off the bat, the player will determine what aspects of magic the PC will study...but dice rolls will determine his successes and failures (Spellcraft checks). With a successful check, the PC may just be able to make his own MM spell right away. OTOH, the PC may be studying Force magic (to design a version of MM) intensely, but he may find certain aspects difficult to grasp, while simultaneously discovering a natural affinity towards charms. And after that, the PC will be able to continue to study and, who knows, maybe master that last difficult incantation or gesture that has been preventing him from making his own MM.

However, as they find scraps and pieces of scrolls and tomes, or study with other spellcasters, they'll get bonuses to learn those aspects of magic that others have learned before.

So if he had failed at learning a version of MM initially, but finds an arcanist who is competent in Force magic, he'll be able to try again, this time with bonuses.
 

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